Dave, who was in front, actuated by kindred sentiments, tried to push past Tom; but the latter was ahead of him, and broke for the boat first.
They raced through the lantana, scratching their hands and faces and tearing their clothes as they went.
Their craft was aground in the black mud among the mangroves, and when they tried to shove her off they found the task beyond their strength.
Tom hurriedly led the way into a thick patch of jungle, and they crawled under a low clump3 of young stinging trees, where it would be almost impossible for a full-grown man to reach them, and held a whispered consultation4.
“It’s him,” said Dave.
“Yes,” agreed Tom, “there ain’t no doubt of it.”
[129]
“Do you think he seen us?” asked the second pirate.
“No;” replied Tom, “I don’t think so; he had his ugly mouth open like he waz asleep.”
“What’s to do?” asked Dave.
“Dunno, ’less we leave everything an’ swim ashore5. Then we might get ketched with sharks, and if we wasn’t ketched with sharks, we’d most likely be ketched be the traps.”
“I wouldn’t sleep ’ere a night,” cried Dave, “with that cove6 on the island, not for anything.”
“I’d rather sleep on a jumper ant’s nest,” agreed Tom. “The only thing we got to do is keep quiet, an’ wait till the tide rises. Then we’ll shove the boat off quietly and go further down the river.”
Having decided7 on this plan, they felt more comfortable. After a while Tom even got courage enough to sneak8 back to where he had dropped his swag.
He returned to report that the black-bearded man was still sleeping. Tom said he looked more awful and wicked than ever.
They munched9 some food quietly, and feeling almost secure in the heart of the thicket10 wherein they had crawled, Nature asserted herself, and they both fell asleep.
It was past noon when Tom started up and woke his mate.
“The tide’s up,” he whispered. “We better run the risk of bein’ seen from the shore in the boat than stay ’ere and be killed by a cold-blooded murderer like that.”
[130]
They crept through the scrub and lantana as quietly as they could.
Tom took a good look round, and announced that the coast was clear. The water was well up astern, and they began to push at the bow of the boat to launch her.
“Give ’er one more shove!” cried Tom, in a glad voice, “an’ we’re clear.”
Just then each boy felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
The convict had crept up behind them.
Slowly, dreading11 what they knew they were going to see, each turned his head.
They met the inquiring gaze of Jean Petit. His face was adorned12 by a grin which was intended to be amiable13, but Tom and Dave felt that they had never witnessed anything more hideous14.
“Ah, ha!” cried Jean Petit, in his own peculiar15 English, “what are you doing here, my children?”
“N—n—nothink, s—ir.” spluttered Tom, vainly trying to wriggle16 out of his captor’s clutch.
Now, when an Australian boy uses the word “sir” he is certainly afraid.
“Aha!” cried Petit, in a rasping voice.
“N—n—nothink!” repeated Dave, wriggling17 in such a way as to create the impression that he really did not mean to. “No, sir, n—nothink. We only just landed ’ere.”
Tom gave his mate a look of gratitude18.
“Yes,” he cried, “we only jist landed. You let—let us go an’ we’ll go right away at once.”
[131]
But Petit was thoughtfully studying the boat.
“Does zat boat belong wiz you?” he asked.
“N—no,” replied Tom, in anguished19 tones, “we jist borryed ’er to come acrost to the island after wild figs20.”
“Borree,” repeated the escapee, “borree? I not understand.”
“Yes,” repeated Tom, “we jist borryed—took the loan of ’er, like—meanin’ to give her back again.”
“Ah!” said Petit, “you vat21 he call shake, steal it, eh?”
“No,” cried Tom; “we’re honest, we are! Dead honest. Neither of us never shook nothink in our lives—leastwise, not that we knowed of.”
“Ah!” exclaimed Petit, “vat is your name?”
“My name’s Jack22 Stevenson. This cove’s name is Bill Stevenson. He’s my cousin.”
Tom gave Dave another look to impress this fact on his memory.
“I’ll tell you how it is, without any lies,” he volunteered, in a tone of utter confidence. “We borryed this boat off Bill’s father yesterday to come up the river a piece fishin,’ an’ we stayed out too late, an’ was caught in a fog. This mornin’ we started back, an’ we jist pulled in ’ere to look for figs—that’s a solemn fact. We ain’t been ’ere more than a half a hour at the outside. You kin2 ask ’im!”
Petit examined the boys, the boat, and the surroundings. He saw that they were telling lies.
His natural instinct told him also that they were terribly frightened, and his criminal method of reasoning[132] put it down to the fact that they had committed some offence against the law.
It occurred to Petit’s mind that the boys might be useful to him. His grasp tightened23 on their shoulders till Tom winced24 with pain and Dave cried out.
Then, holding them firmly in front of him, he put his face up to them and said, in a terrible voice: “Eet is so; you have stolen zis boat!”
They were silent.
“For which,” he continued, “you air both liable to be put in ze prison!”
Jean Petit hissed25 the word “prison.”
“Suppose,” he continued, “I gif word to ze po-lice—”
When the escapee came to “police” he snarled26 viciously. “Vat zen?”
Neither youth ventured to speak.
“I tell to you—you go to chail!”
Petit put dreadful emphasis on the gaol27.
“Oui—to chail. Zere you will be treat mos’ ill; you vill rot an’ starve an’ die! You will starve an’ rot an’ die.”
“But, non,” resumed Petit, after allowing the picture time to soak in, “I vill not gif you to chail. You air too young, too tendaire; I vill keep you viz ME! Sacre!” he ejaculated, shaking them both violently, “I shall be fazzair and mozzair vis you.”
This prospective28 parentage did not seem to fill either Tom or Dave with gratitude and joy. Two more wretched-looking children of adoption29 it would be difficult to see anywhere.
“Bud,” concluded Petit, “if you do not obey me vis all thinks——”
He threw them from him and drew his knife.
“Oh,” sobbed30 Tom, “No, don’t! Don’t kill us. I’ll do anythink you want me to. Anythink as long as you don’t stick that knife into me.”
Dave shut his eyes and shuddered31. Speech was beyond him.
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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2
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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3
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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4
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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5
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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6
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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8
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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9
munched
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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11
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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12
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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13
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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14
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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15
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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16
wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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17
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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18
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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19
anguished
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| adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式) | |
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20
figs
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| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
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21
vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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22
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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23
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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24
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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26
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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27
gaol
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| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
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28
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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29
adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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30
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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31
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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